Everton midfielder Ross Barkley completed a medical at Chelsea on Thursday night, according to a report.

Sky Sports News claimed on their official Twitter account on Friday that the 24-year-old is on the verge of joining the Premier League champions and the deal should be made official within the coming hours.

Barkley is out of contract at the end of the season and this month would be Everton’s last chance to cash in on their academy graduate for a decent price.

The England international has not kicked a ball all season for the Toffees due to injury but he almost joined Chelsea on transfer deadline day in the summer when he was widely reported to have pulled the plug on a move after undergoing a medical.

However it is understood this time at that the medical has been completed without a hitch and the Barkley will be announced by the Stamford Bridge club later on Friday.

Football Insider verdict

This is quite a good move for Chelsea but it really is not ideal for Everton. Ronald Koeman and Steve Walsh dropped a clanger in the summer when they did not let Barkley go. They could have gotten a much heftier fee for the playmaker than what they are likely to pick up from Chelsea, and that could seriously hinder Sam Allardyce’s ability to do business this month. It’s still a nice boost for Everton to pick up some cash for someone that they have already made plans to be without, but the potential amount they could have picked up would have been far greater. Farhad Moshiri must not ignore how this deal has gone down. The Toffees owner has some serious questions to ask of his hierarchy.